Page 17 - Budget 2026

Budget 2026-27 places Odisha firmly at heart of India's growth story: BJP

The ruling BJP in Odisha on Sunday asserted that the Union Budget 2026-27 has placed the state firmly at the heart of India's growth story. "It reflects a clear and confident vision to transform Odisha into a strategic engine of eastern India's development," Odisha BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal said. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget in the Lok Sabha earlier in the day. Biswal said the announcement of 20 new inland waterways, beginning with Odisha, will unlock immense potential for inland transport, trade, and the coastal economy, giving a decisive push to logistics efficiency and regional commerce. "The East Coast Freight Corridor in Odisha is a true game-changer. It will strengthen ports, boost MSMEs, create large-scale employment, and position Odisha as a critical logistics hub in the national supply chain," he asserted. The BJP leader said equally significant is the dedicated rare earth corridor, which will establish Odisha as a strategic centre for clean

Budget 2026 keeps infra at core, raises capital spending to ₹12.2 trillion

Union Budget 2026 scales up capital spending to ₹12.2 trillion, keeping infrastructure at the centre of growth while signalling continued commitment to fiscal consolidation

Budget 2026 relief: Lower TCS on foreign education, medical travel

Union Budgeet 2026: Lower TCS rates under LRS aim to ease upfront tax costs for overseas education, medical treatment and travel spending

Heritage Foods hails Budget as watershed moment for dairy, livestock sector

Heritage Foods Ltd Executive Director Brahmani Nara on Sunday welcomed the Union Budget 2026, describing it as a watershed moment for India's dairy and livestock sectors. Heritage Foods Ltd is promoted by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's family members. Nara said the budget reflects several strategic priorities highlighted in the company's pre-budget expectations and goes beyond numbers to focus on empowering dairy farmers, strengthening rural resilience, and promoting sustainable, inclusive growth. "The Union Budget 2026 marks a significant milestone for India's dairy and livestock sectors," she said in a press release. The scaling up of veterinary capacity through new colleges, hospitals, laboratories and para-vet networks directly addresses the severe shortage of veterinarians in the country, she said, adding that the move would help bridge the gap between existing and required veterinary strength. The expansion of veterinary infrastructure, along with enhanc

Totally lacklustre, fell woefully short of the hype: Congress on Budget

The Congress on Sunday said the Union Budget was "totally lacklustre" and fell woefully short of the hype that was generated around it. Congress general secretary, Communications, Jairam Ramesh said the budget speech given by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was also "non-transparent" as it gave no idea of the budgetary allocations for key programmes and schemes. "While the documents need to be studied in detail, it is clear after 90 minutes that Budget 2026/27 falls woefully short of the hype that was generated about it. It was totally lacklustre," Ramesh said in a post on X. "The speech was also non-transparent since it gave no idea whatsoever of budgetary allocations for key programmes and schemes," he said. In her speech, Sitharaman announced that the target for capex will be raised to Rs 12.2 lakh crore for FY27 from Rs 11.2 lakh crore earmarked for the current fiscal year. She also announced a slew of measures to boost infrastructure in the country, including in tie

Budget 2026 delivers well on prudence and focuses on future thrust areas

Union Budget 2026 stays focused on fiscal prudence, targets a 4.3% deficit, sustains ₹12.2 trillion capex, and backs rare earths, freight corridors, waterways and data centres, writes Madan Sabnavis

Budget 2026: Centre allocates ₹30 crore for Lokpal; ₹54.56 crore to CVC

Anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal has been given Rs 30 crore for the next fiscal to meet its establishment and construction-related expenditures, according to the Union Budget 2026-27 presented on Sunday. The revised budgetary outlay for Lokpal for the ongoing fiscal is Rs 32 crore, according to the Budget document. A provision of Rs 44.32 crore was made for it for the financial year (FY) 2025-26 in the last Budget. The Lokpal is the apex body to inquire into and investigate allegations of corruption against public functionaries, including the prime minister. Probity watchdog Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has been given Rs 54.56 crore for 2026-27. The provision is for secretariat expenditure of the Commission, the Budget document said. It had got Rs 52.07 crore for FY26, which has been revised to Rs 50.66 crore for the current financial year. The CVC is an apex governmental body responsible for promoting integrity, transparency and accountability in the country's public ...

Budget 2026-27: Govt sets up panel to study AI impact on services sector

Union Budget 2026: The Centre plans a high-powered panel to assess how AI is changing services, employment and skills, while aiming to raise India's global share in services to 10% by 2047

Budget 2026 offers six-month window to disclose overseas income and assets

Missed declaring foreign income or assets? Budget 2026 offers a second chance

Budget 2026: Govt raises infra spending by 8.8% to record ₹12.2 trillion

India has significantly raised infrastructure spending after the Covid-19 pandemic, aiming to boost economic growth and create more jobs in the world's most populous country

Derivatives trading to get costlier: STT on options premium raised to 0.15%

Budget 2026 raises STT on options and futures to curb speculation

Budget 2026: What the sodium antimonate duty cut means for the solar sector

Union Budget 2026 removes basic customs duty on sodium antimonate, a specialised chemical used in photovoltaic glass, offering cost relief and competitiveness gains for solar glass manufactures

Budget 2026: Govt allocates ₹600 crore for three dedicated chemical parks

For the first time, the Union Budget provides a dedicated allocation for chemical parks, with ₹600 crore earmarked in the Budget Estimates for 2026-27

Decoded: Share buybacks to be taxed as capital gains under Budget 2026

In a big relief to minority shareholders, now buyback of shares will again be taxed as capital gains tax and hence long term shares tendered in buyback will be taxed only at 12.5% as against the norma

Budget 2026: Biopharma to medical tourism, push for healthcare value chain

Union Budget 2026 proposes measures across biopharma manufacturing, medical education, research, affordable drugs, AYUSH and medical tourism, signalling a deeper healthcare strategy

Budget 2026: Centre announces ₹20,000 cr plan to scale carbon capture tech

Union Budget 2026: The Centre will launch a ₹20,000 crore scheme over five years to promote carbon capture technologies across power, steel, cement, refineries and chemical sectors

Budget proposes to set up dedicated REITs to recycle CPSE realty assets

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said CPSE assets will be recycled through Reits, a move experts say could expand investable real estate supply, deepen markets and provide liquidity

​STT hike in F&O may dent FII flows; trading volumes may thin: Analysts

STT kike will be a headwind for capital-market-linked stocks. With derivatives volumes already shrinking in recent months, the hike, analysts say, may further their pressure near-term earnings.

Income Tax Act 2025 to be implemented from April 1: FM Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said the Income Tax Act, 2025 will be implemented from April 1 and rules and tax returns forms will be notified shortly. Beginning April 1, the Income Tax Act, 2025, will come into force replacing the six-decade-old tax law and the changes made in tax laws in 2026-27 Budget will be incorporated in the new legislation. In her Budget speech in the Lok Sabha on Sunday, she said, "This (direct tax code) was completed in record time and the Income Tax Act 2025 will come into effect from first April 2026. The simplified income tax rules and forms will be notified shortly, giving adequate time to taxpayers to acquaint themselves with its requirements." The forms have been redesigned, such that ordinary citizens can comply without difficulty, she added. The 2025 I-T law is revenue neutral with no change in tax rates. It has only made direct tax laws simple to understand, removed ambiguities, thereby reducing scope for litigations. It reduces te

Govt proposes launch of Khelo India mission to transform sports sector

The government's flagship Khelo India programme to scout grassroots-level sporting talent is set to get a boost with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday proposing the launch of a Khelo India mission to also focus on systemic development of training centres and coaches over the next decade. Presenting the Union Budget for the year 2026-27, the minister said the mission will facilitate an integrated talent development programme through inter-linking pathways. The Khelo India programme was launched in 2017 and its primary objective was to hold national level competitions across age groups for talent identification. "Sports sector provides multiple means of employment, skilling and job opportunities. Taking forward the systematic nurturing of sports talent which is set in motion through the Khelo India programme, I propose to launch a Khelo India mission to transform the sports sector over the next decade," Sitharaman said during her Budget speech in the Lok Sabha. "The missio